An optical connector is a connector which is used for connection between a plurality of optical fibers. The optical connector may have a structure in which a shutter is provided for preventing, in a state where only one of the optical fibers is connected, a front end of the connected optical fiber from being exposed to the outside.
This is because if the front end of the connected optical fiber is exposed in the state where only one of the optical fibers is connected, there is a possibility that dust adheres to the exposed front end of the optical fiber, and this is for preventing light emitted from the front end of the optical fiber from damaging an eye of an operator.
As the structure provided with the shutter, there is known, for example, a structure described in Patent Document 1.
As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, an optical connector 1 of Patent Document 1 comprises a connector housing 20, a sleeve 30 fixed to the inside of the connector housing 20, a movable portion 40 slidable in the connector housing 20, and a movable spring 60 biasing the movable portion 40.
As shown in FIG. 11, a shutter 50 is attached to the movable portion 40 so as to be rotatable about a retaining pin 54 for opening and closing the sleeve 30. As shown in FIG. 12, the movable portion 40 and the movable spring 60 are received in a receiving portion 24 with a rectangular cross section and the shutter 50 is in a state of being constantly biased toward the sleeve end face 32 side of the sleeve 30 by a presser bar spring 56.
When a non-illustrated plug housing coupled with an optical fiber is fitted into the connector housing 20 of the optical connector 1 in the state where the shutter 50 is closed as shown in FIG. 12, a front-side side wall 42 of the movable portion 40 is brought into contact with a front-side side wall of the non-illustrated plug housing so that the movable portion 40 moves toward the inside of the receiving portion 24, i.e. toward the rear side of the receiving portion 24, against a spring force of the movable spring 60.
With the movement of the movable portion 40, the retaining pin 54 fixed to the movable portion 40 also moves toward the rear side of the connector housing 20.
The shutter 50, partially, is in abutment with the sleeve end face 32. Therefore, with the movement of the retaining pin 54, the shutter 50 is rotated, using an abutting portion 34 as a fulcrum, toward the inner wall side on the movable portion 40 side against an elastic force of the presser bar spring 56 so as to be received in a frame 46 of the movable portion. By this rotation of the shutter 50, the shutter 50 covering the sleeve end face 32 is opened as shown in FIG. 13.
As described above, the optical connector 1 is configured so that the shutter 50 is automatically opened in response to the fitting of the plug housing (Patent Document 1).